Take a look at the RAND Corporation's "National Security" page; it opens with this statement: "RAND conducts a broad array of national security research for the U.S. Department of Defense." Then glance down at the featured research and you'll see "U.S. Should Rethink 'War On Terrorism' Strategy to Deal with Resurgent Al Qaida — Jul. 29, 2008." Take a look at the News Release for this RAND study: as others have noted, it essentially refutes the whole "war on terror" approach of the last seven years.
Now take a look at this July 23rd news release from McDonald's and this follow-up August 8th report from PR Newswire (and subsequent reports in Bloomberg's, USA Today, etc.). The reports all note that McDonald's sales and stocks are doing quite well, thank you very much.
I'd say these two stories are both newsworthy, but -heck - I'll go out on a limb and say that a report from a think tank that does "research for the U.S. Department of Defense" and concludes that the multi-trillion dollar, civil liberty destroying, more than one million killed Global War on Terror is a failure is just a tad more important than the fact that McDonald's sales and stock values have increased [especially due to the success of their breakfast menu]. So let's see how NPR covers these two stories.
On the RAND study NPR has given....NO COVERAGE!
On the McDonald's story, NPR was on it as soon as it hit the news cycle (8/8/08). The NPR story features lots airtime for satisfied customers describing the delights of consuming Egg McMuffins and McGriddles - seriously.
La, da, da, da, da....I'm lovin' it!
4 comments:
Well, of course. Since they'd received that grant, it is to the Hallowed Arches of Gold that they have pledged their fealty.
The story that we, as voting Americans who need to be informed about world issues and how we impact the globe, need to hear and one that is fluff: which does NPR cover? It's a no brainer--the no brainer of course. Can't have those voters being informed now can we, at least informed on significant issues.
As I Expected: They Were All in Sync Like a Swiss Time Piece
NPR, the Washington Post, the NYT, etc., all got their knickers in a knot this weekend, blaring out the message.
The message of the propaganda matrix: RUSSIA BAD / GEORGIA GOOD. (Repeat)
It's simple. It's easy to remember. It requires no thought. It's effortless.
Bonus: it's a time-tested, time-proven formula. Does anyone remember the old hits, RUSSIA BAD / UKRAINE GOOD, or SERBIA BAD / KOSOVO GOOD? Why, it's like 2+2=4, or Einstein's E=MC(squared). Except here E=Reality, M=Mainstream Media Mendacity, and C(squared)=people's credulity raised to the 2nd power.
And besides, if NPR, the WaPo, the NYT, the BBC, etc., said it--well, it follows, logically, that it must be true!
God, I feel so good, since NPR, the WaPo, the NYT, the BBC, etc. are all saying it!
Case closed. The last one to leave, please turn out the lights.
Good night!
Oh, I almost forgot about another benie: you get the cachet of an intellectual. You get to say, "I heard it on NPR." You're in the mainstream or, more likely, you've just been mainstreamed. A bon entendeur, salut!
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